


Amenoch, King of Kings

by SpaceAceAmeko



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Empyrean Mikleo, Kinda cross-over, M/M, Prince Sorey, Vague attempt at a plot, kinda au., tags to be added later.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2019-11-18 19:10:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18125303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceAceAmeko/pseuds/SpaceAceAmeko
Summary: Sorey was not one to believe in ghosts and spiritual beings so easily, logical as he was, but for the first time he cannot deny, he was absolutely sure he had been in the presence of a god.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> _Why am I writing this? Because I’m procrastinating finishing my other stories, feel me?_

Sorey wasn’t running away, okay? He really wasn’t. He’ll come back eventually. 

 

…. Even though he really  _ does _ want to run away. 

 

He loved Alisha, really, he does, just not… Romantically. He knows she feels the same way. They’ve been betrothed to each other since they were children, and thus were forced to hang out a lot. It was a good thing both of them held interests in ruins and history, and that Alisha was a huge Tom boy and didn’t mind getting hurt or playing rough because Sorey wonders how well he would have liked his future wife-to-be if she were a delicate little flower with no interest in his interests whatsoever.

 

At least he won’t be running forever. He’d gotten permission to go wherever he wished to go to, and the day he comes back they’ll be prepping him for the wedding and shoving king lessons down his throat he mentally sighs at that, scratching the back of his neck. At least they didn’t put a time restraint on it. They were still too young to get married, and their parents will be on the thrones for another number of years, so he’d been given the impression that with needing to take however long he wanted to travel the world, they’d be married in a few years. There are a lot of places Sorey wants to travel to, of course, and he’s also sure both families knew that. 

 

A crab digging back into the sand caught his attention and he carefully steps over the little buggers, smiling as another wave uprooted them from the shallow pit they dug themselves into. It was hot, but the sea breeze felt nice on his skin as he made his way down the beach to the village at the end of the peninsula. 

 

This village wasn’t his final destination, though he wouldn’t be opposed to the idea of staying here longer than others.He thought that maybe he should have started with the northern ruins and made his ways south, unsure of how cold he was willing to put up with, he was sure to loath leaving this paradise. Where he could catch some rays (though he’s gotten plenty tan from his travels), swim, eat all the ice cream and seafood he could eat until he’s sick. This was just another ruin he wanted to visit, just beyond the village. 

 

That was how he found himself at Amenoch’s temple, the temple of Palamedes. He was surprised they let him go so far, seeing as how it was so far southeast, almost like it was at the edge of the world. It was so hot and humid, he wore shorts and a thin t-shirt, tempted to go shirtless, and even more tempted by that idea when he saw the people walking about with as little clothes as possible, looking all natural like it wasn’t public indecency to be walking around in one’s swimsuit. 

 

The village of Haria was a small town, with amazing history and rich culture. The best thing about it, though, was the ruined temple that still barely stands along the coast. Throughout the years, he’s heard of jerking earthquakes that shifted the temple down into the sand and crushed closer by the mountain at its side. It’s nearly impossible to get in, now, but all that served was a challenge to him, not a deterrent. 

 

Inside he ventured, coming out with a few scrapes on his skin for his effort of squeezing through places he clearly wasn’t meant to squeeze through. It was surprising well-lit, for a temple crumbling in on itself and he wonders where the hell all that light was coming from, because the temple didn’t really have many skylights or windows. He ventured further the stinging of the scrapes lost to his mind as he takes in the architecture and design with wide eyes as he traipsed down the hall, tripping over debris more than once though that didn’t deter him from pulling his gaze from around him to look where he was going. 

 

The temple was a little bit like a maze, as many of the ruins he visited were. More than likely to drive out the unwelcome, but Sorey persisted and had gotten so deep inside, that he could scarcely contain his excitement when he came to the door he just  _ knew _ would lead into the epicenter of the temple. Where they used to worship gods, used to worship  _ Amenoch. _

 

The thick doors open easily enough once he finds some sort of lever, and his eyes widen at the inside. In the middle of the circular room stood what he could only describe as a giant bowl, except it wasn’t a bowl. It was easy to tell the structure itself had already fallen, the stem crumbling underneath it over the years. It was big, but shallow, tilted just slightly. Crystal clear water fills it, spilling over the tipped edge and trickling back into the ocean, but as Sorey watched the water for a split second, he saw no conceivable way for the water to kept being refilled near to the brim again. It was like the water in there was never-ending, glistening like jewels and practically  _ glowing. _

 

The rest of the room was in near filled with water. Sorey’s sandals covered under it, causing him to shiver as the chill, a gentle caress, slipped over his skin in barely there movements. Try as he might to take in the rest of the room besides the center peace, his eyes refused to leave it. His heart felt as if it’ll burst out of his chest any moment and his breath left him.

 

Because there, lounging in that shallow depression and water, was someone so beautiful that Sorey could scarcely form a thought. 

 

The boy was on his back, laying in the water like he belonged there, hands folded comfortably on his stomach, one leg brought up to comfortably perch on the edge of the lip, the other lazily swaying in the water below (though if it were he creating the gentle lapping of the waves, or the waves moving his legs, Sorey couldn’t be too sure). His eyes were closed, and for a half second Sorey thought he was dead— his skin as pale as the moon, short, white-silver hair framed his face, making him look so young. He wore robes like those from the ancient Graecae civilization, the cloth falling across his shoulder and soaked in the water, swaying like ribbons. Amazingly enough, the cloth was dark enough that his modesty was covered, though the wet clothes left little to the imagination. 

 

Unthinkingly, Sorey stepped closer, the water slashing as he shuffled forward as if in a trance. He sees the hands on the boy’s stomach twitch, the only thing that caught Sorey’s attention more than the thin, slender build. As if sensing the disturbance in the water, the boy’s eyes shut tighter before they slowly opened and Sorey gasped when he could see the color of his eyes. Amethysts framed by white lashes, perfected and accentuated by the gentle rogue of this lips. 

 

With bated breath, Sorey watched as he blinks his eyes twice before his eyes slid over his way. Those bright eyes locked him where he stood and stole what little breath he had away. The boy turns his face, looking so much more beautiful than anyone Sorey had ever seen or thought of, and so much better to gaze at full-on. He looked blankly at Sorey, before that blankness turns into curiousness and he sits up. 

 

Water cascades down his arms, jingling the white-gold bands he wore around his wrist. His hair stuck to the skin on his cheeks, at the nape of his neck. His body turned to him now, looking slightly amused; of what, Sorey couldn’t tell you. Probably of how he stood gaping at the boy in front of him, sure he’s caught heat stroke or something despite how cool it was in here, away from direct sunlight and cooled by the sea water. 

 

The longer Sorey stared at him, though, the more his amusement slips to something resembling surprise, his eyes staring straight into Sorey’s. Then it slipped into panic and Sorey hears him gasp, jerking more to an upright position rather than the lazy slouch he was in. Before Sorey could even realize what was happening, the boy was already slipping quickly into the water.

 

“Wait!” Sorey calls, darting forward, leaning over the edge of the walkway into the depths but he could see not a thing in the pure, translucent water. Not the boy, not his robes, it was as if he melted into the water itself and Sorey stared at the place where he knew, without a  _ doubt, _ the boy had slipped in and his mouth dropped. 

 

Sorey… he couldn’t have  _ dreamt _ that, could he? His imagination really only ran in history and ruins, not  _ fantasy. _ But even still, Sorey remembers the pointed little ears that peeked out from those white tresses and it stuns him further. Briefly he had thought he saw a glister of gold in the water but it was gone within half-milliseconds. 

 

Sorey blinks his eyes, finding them hurting from refusing to blink for the entire time and he shuts them tight, blinking more rapidly to water his eyes. He looks around the room again, gently touching the saucers edges; the water had lost its ethereal glow.

 

Sorey was not one to believe in ghosts and spiritual beings so easily, logical as he was, but for the first time he cannot deny, he was absolutely sure he had been in the presence of a god.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I have a vague plot lined up. Have fun! <3_

Sorey had been so tempted to write a letter to Alisha about what he’d born witness to. He had written her letters sparingly thus far on his journey, mostly about the ruins he’d visited, the architecture he came across, the occasional picture he was able to get developed. Sorey wasn’t a photographer, though, so unfortunately they turned out pretty bad. Either it was blurry, or too dark, or too bright; Sorey’s eyes take better pictures than the camera, so amazing is the human eye. It was too bad they haven’t found ways to do that. 

 

Or, you know, he would have been tempted to write that letter had he actually realized and made himself leave the temple at a decent time. Except when he finally stopped tracing the gentle patterns on saucer’s ridges, the ancient inscriptions, the sun was already setting the last of its rays behind the horizon and Sorey jolts to attention when the light suddenly dims. 

 

Well, not that suddenly. He could still see, from the minimal openings and window-like spaces, thanks to the brightness of the stars. He cursed himself just slightly. He had planned to leave before the sun had set, and he had not thought to bring anything to light a fire (which, by the way, how the hell would one even do that when nearly the entire temple was engulfed in  _ water?). _ Sorey stands back up from his crouch, groaning at the stiffness in his knees from sitting crouched too long, unwilling to sit in the water. With a sigh, he makes his way back to the door and pulls on a level to the side.

 

Sorey expects it to be as dim as it is in the prayer room, but the door opened to nothing but black and the dim light from the room spilling out into the hallway just barely. Sorey purses his lips, folding his arms. 

 

“Well… fuck.” 

 

Sorey can count his ability to prepare and time block efficiently on one hand; it’s something he's always struggled with. He didn’t bring any kind of kindling, since any kind of accidental dip into the water would render it useless. Now he thinks he should have brought it anyway. Not to mention, that small fire could’ve helped him feel some warmth now that the sun has gone down and the water no longer felt pleasantly chill. 

 

Stepping away from the open door he closes it back up. No need to invite bad spirits or monsters, right? Sorey will just have to put up with the chill and the waiting the whole night. With a sigh, Sorey shuffles back to the broken stand, sitting on the small steps and leaning experimentally against the stone. It doesn’t budge and he sighs, thankful his luck didn’t run out on him and he completely broke this ancient perch.  

 

Sorey sets his bag on the top steps where there was space, curling himself into a ball and rubbing his arms. It wasn’t  _ too _ bad, he reasons with himself. He might end up with a cold, but there was no way he’d freeze or catch hypothermia. 

 

Well, nothing left but to close his eyes and try to get some rest before the sunrise…

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t the sun that woke him, though. He couldn’t exactly describe what woke him up; something like water on the shore, gentle, whispering voices in his ears. Sorey blinks his eyes open, brows furrowed as he looked around sleepily. He gasps as he sees the water start to shine; come alive as the light spreads further. 

 

There was a splash to his right, from the other side of the broken artifact. Sorey freezes, it can’t possibly be, could it..? Sorey shuts his eyes as he sees pale feet step around to the walkway, feigning sleep as he leans against the stone and tries not to shiver. 

 

More splashing, although it sounded a lot more graceful than how he was describing it. There was a sound— something like a hum. Sorey wishes he could open his eyes to feast his eyes upon the deity he’d stumbled across. 

 

_ “I’m amazed he could even see me.”  _ The deity’s voice echoed in his ears, like multiple layers spoken at the same time, like hearing the past and the future together in the present. Sorey shivers involuntarily when he felt a hand brush his temple, cool like stone but it spread warmth when it left. Another gentle splashing and Sorey chances peeking one eye open in time to see the figure traipse over to the closed door.  _ “Although…” _ he starts, raising a hand as if to touch the door but before he did, a wall of light rose up and he hissed, taking a step back. 

 

Sorey opens his other eye, soaking in the sight of the god he’d come across. He still looked as pale as he did during the daytime, his right ankle graced with golden anklets, one adorned with a chain that looped around his middle toe. The same golden bands were looped around his left wrist, jingling as he folded his arms in thought. 

 

_ “Perhaps…” _ He makes to turn around and Sorey startles, relaxing again and shutting his eyes. He hopes the god didn’t notice him feigning, especially since his heartbeat was going crazy. The steps come closer, but Sorey didn’t feel another touch from him. Instead, he heard the slosh of water from the saucer and then the shuffle of his bag being looked through. Which, okay, he wasn’t  _ that _ upset that someone is looking through his bag, and he couldn’t really expect a God to understand personal space, right? 

 

There was a hum as the boy finally pulled something out that interested him and Sorey had to bodily stop himself from moving when he heard the flap of book pages. It wasn’t that he was opposed to the idea of this god looking through his book, but like, he was covered in  _ water  _ and the book was something very important to him. In that case, should he do anything…?

 

Another sigh, more splashing, and now more steps on the walkway back to the door. Sorey peeks open an eye, watching as the figure flips through some pages, looking between the door and the book. Sorey opened his eyes and slowly got to his feet. Besides the ethereal glow to him, spreading to the rest of the water, and the way his voice echoed in his mind, Sorey could almost pretend he was just too-beautiful a boy standing in front of him. 

 

On second thought, standing so abruptly while he had his back turned would be a bad idea, wouldn’t it? 

 

“Uh, uhm..?” Sorey winces at his own voice. It got the boy’s attention, however, as he jumps half a foot in the air and turns, holding the book to his chest. He takes a step back and Sorey’s eyes widen as the blue wall comes back up just in time for his back to collide into it and he hisses, stumbling forward half a step. He quickly glances back, his jaw sets as his eyes dart back to meet Sorey’s. “Wait!” Sorey raises his hands in surrender. “I-I didn’t mean to startle you.” It probably wouldn’t mean much to a god to say he didn’t mean any harm. 

 

Amethyst eyes narrow in suspicion, staring and not moving for such a long time Sorey thought that he was dreaming again. Slowly, the boy relaxed. Now it was just a little awkward…. perhaps he should have just pretended to sleep until morning?

 

_ “You can see me.” _ His voice echoed in his mind, eyes meeting again after his had skidded away. 

 

“Ahh, y-yeah. I can.” Sorey says awkwardly. But who knows? Maybe this was his hallucination part two from accidentally forgetting to eat. Which, okay, when did he actually eat last? Crap. 

 

The boy seems to size him up and Sorey starts to lower his arms once he seemed to calm down. Sorey has to size him up, too. Or more like, admire. The white of his hair, his lashes, the ethereal glow of his skin. Blemish-free, which would no-doubt be the envy of all the ladies. And… wait a second.. he’s  _ shorter _ than Sorey, isn’t he..? 

 

“U-uhm, who are you?” Sorey has to ask. He knows he’s in the temple of Amenoch, but surely, such a deity can’t be here since the very recording of time? The boy seems to think for a moment, weighing the options. 

 

_ “Your kind calls me Amenoch.” _ Whoa. Okay. That answers that. Sorey is pretty sure his jaw is dropped. Wait..  _ your kind? _

 

“My kind?” Sorey parrots. 

 

_ “Humans.” _ Oh. Right. 

 

“Oh. Then, uh, what’s your name?” Another moment of silence in which he seems to think. 

 

_ “My name is…” _ He paused, more weighing.  _ “Mikleo.”  _

 

_ Mikleo. _

 

Sorey blinks, his vision going blurry for a scant few moments as he balances himself. 

 

_ “And you are?” _

 

“Huh?” Sorey blinks some more, looking up at Mikleo. 

 

“You name. What is it?” Sorey paused. Something was different. 

 

“Uhh, my name?” The boy raised a brow like, of course, and kept back some few choice words. “It’s Sorey.” He didn’t really need to tell the god in front of him that he’s some prince, right? 

 

“Sorey..” Mikleo says, like tasting the name on his tongue. And  _ that’s _ what’s different. His voice no longer held the echo like it had before. No weight. Looking at him didn’t hurt his eyes as it did a bit before. It was like being blessed with his real name had given him some sort of  _ key _ or something, that allowed him to comprehend a being such as him. Where he was just beautiful, not overwhelming like he had been before. “And what brings a human here?” He asks more casually. “I can’t imagine you being the brightest of the bunch.” He adds on, strolling over to Sorey. 

 

Sorey could only freeze, watching him. Mikleo steps around him, though, taking steps along the water’s surface like it was solid enough to hold his weight. Sorey watches, entranced, and not able to stop himself from gawking. Mikleo slips back into the water of the saucer, flipping through the book. Sorey stopped himself from chastising a god for bringing a book into water. But even as he watches, he gets more amazed, watching as the book stayed miraculously dry, even if Mikleo’s hands were wet. 

 

Mikleo’s eyes left the book to meet his and only then does Sorey remember he’s been asked a question. “Uhm, well, I like ruins.” Sorey scratches the back of his neck.

 

“I see.” Mikleo says, thumbing at the margins where Sorey had written in his own notes and doodles. He looked and read with longing, finger skimming the pictures of the text of old age ruins. Gaining courage, Sorey speaks, “What about you?” 

 

Mikleo looked up at him again. “What about me?”

 

“I mean, what’re you doing  _ here.” _ Sorey waves his hand around as if it wasn’t obvious they were in a small room. Mikleo looks around as if it had been a while since he noticed his surroundings. 

 

“What do you think I’m doing here?” He asks, turning to lean over the side of the basin, closing the book. Water drips onto the book but it doesn’t soak it, dripping off the edge as if the water that clung to him wasn’t water at all. Well, he  _ was _ a god, so that wasn’t actually so far-fetched. 

 

“This is your worship room.” Mikleo sets the book near Sorey’s abandoned rucksack. 

 

“Ten points for humanity.” He says blandly, though Sorey hears a teasing tone in between the sobriety. 

 

“But you’re—“ Mikleo raises a brow and Sorey momentarily gets distracted by the circlet peeking through his bangs. “You’re trapped here.” Mikleo is quiet for a moment, sizing him up one more time as he slouches regally against the basin, spilling more water over that never-ending basin as he fidgeted. 

 

“Ten points for humanity.” He repeats, less blandly, more quietly, thoughtful. 

 

“Can I ask why? I mean, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.” Sorey starts, glancing back to the door. Of course it wouldn’t make sense. Why would a god whom they worshiped be kept to a certain spot? Or rather, he should say what does the monarchy know about this? Surely they wouldn’t condone this, should they know? And how did they ever get the ability to keep such a god in a certain place? How did he  _ not  _ know about this if the monarchy  _ does _ know about this? 

 

“What will you do if I tell you?” The god replied, looking curious and yet a spark of hope glimmered in his eye. Or Sorey was just hallucinating. That was still a very high chance. 

 

“Oh… Well,” Sorey hesitated. What  _ could _ he do, besides probably nothing? He means, was this even on him, or something? This was the first time he’d ever come in contact with a god, any kind of mythical being, really. He doesn’t know the boundaries. “Is there something you need me to do?” If there are any, that is. Boundaries are blurry within human interaction anyway, most of the time, and do gods even know what boundaries  _ are? _ “Anything I can do to help?” 

 

_ Amenoch _ glanced back down at Sorey’s backpack, laying settled on the steps away from the water. He looked so intent, staring at the book he had put back. After what felt like forever but was only a minute of Sorey holding his breath, those crystal-like eyes met his and he stood, closing the few feet of distance between them. Oddly enough, Sorey took pleasure in the fact that the god had to look  _ up _ to meet his eye. What can he say? He’s the typical guy who liked to be taller. 

 

Not that he was thinking about hooking up with a god, but, whatever.  _ Ahem, _ moving on. 

 

“There is… something.” Mikleo starts, raising a hand, Sorey’s eyes going to the jangling of the golden bands as he brings a hand to his chest, hesitating the scant centimeters before they place themselves on Sorey’s chest. His heart skipped a beat, looking back up into his eyes. 

 

“Anything,” Sorey stupidly says. He doesn’t know whether he was actually entranced by the god and being made to say something like this, or if he was just  _ that _ eager to please a god. 

 

Mikleo’s smile grew, something that Sorey couldn’t place started to brew in his eyes. 

 

_ “Thank you for the offering.” _

 

_ Amenoch’s _ voice echoed in his ear and it caused double-vision, making it feel like he just fell head-over-heels, drowning in the sea. His vision blurred, he felt he could scarcely breathe, energy filled and expanded in him like a burning star, and the last thing he remembered was chilled hands on his face as he succumbed to the darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _AussieDollVA, I did indeed love that. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_

When Sorey finally came to, he felt hungover as all hell. He had the worst headache, his body  _ ached _ like he’d been run over by a bulldozer, he felt heavy and lethargic and the first and only time he drank this much was during his twentieth birthday when he could legally get plastered. And then he swore he would never drink that much again in his  _ life, _ even if his friends called him a weenie and made fun of him. 

 

Sorey prised open his eyes, eyes catching on the medicine and water on the nightstand table and he drags himself up with a groan, gratefully downing the medicine with huge gulps of water. Quickly enough, the pain medicine takes hold and it is bearable to take in his surroundings without squinting. 

 

That was why, when he finally placed where he was, he was ultimately so surprised he jerked into a sitting position to gaze wildly around the room. The room he had taken up at the inn. His backpack is settled on the chair by the small table, his clothes from yesterday and the day before were messily thrown over the back of the chair (typical guy). Nothing was supposedly out of place.  

 

Huh. Guess he really  _ did _ hallucinate everything. Teaches him to do whatever he did to hallucinate that.

 

Sorey sighs, rubbing his head. He wonders how he got back to the inn, though. Sorey gets up out of bed, quickly changing his clothes and throwing yesterday’s clothes to join the ones on the back of the chair. Donning yet another tank and shorts, he grabs his backpack again and sets out. 

 

“Mr. Stigandr!” The innkeeper called just as he was about to walk out the front door. Sorey paused, looking back at her before smiling.

 

“Good morning.” He greets, because he wasn’t  _ rude. _ “Hope I didn’t cause much trouble last night.”

 

“Oh, no. Not at all!” She says joyfully. “It wasn’t so much as you as.. well, your friend..” She trails off. 

 

“Uhh… my— my friend?” He asked, stepping closer to the counter. He certainly didn’t remember bringing a friend home. 

 

“Yes. Although, it wasn’t so much as he did anything, really.. But a few hours after you went to bed, he walks  _ out _ of your bedroom, and I didn’t even see him come in!” She says, but she certainly didn’t look upset… or  _ too _ upset. 

 

“Um, this friend. W-what did he look like?” At this, she blushes a bit.

 

“Well,” She paused. “I don’t know how else to describe him but… he was really beautiful.” And yeah, Sorey can see her hesitation, not many men would want to be called beautiful. “He was really pale, and had white hair.”  _ Oh my gods. _ “He came out to tell me you wanted medicine for when you woke up and to tell you he’d be on the beach.” 

 

Sorey openly stares, his mind stalling for a moment before he nods fiercely. “Thanks!” He practically  _ ran _ out the door, running down the wooden steps of the walkway and onto the white sandy beaches. The beach wasn’t that big, but it also wasn’t small. Nevertheless, it was rather easy to find his “friend.” There was a crowd of people, not too obvious as they slowly milled away as if afraid to be caught  _ actually _ crowding, and beyond the group of inconspicuous people, was Mikleo. 

 

Further into the water, water lapping at his knees and the tops of his thighs. He stood strong in the gentle tug of the water, hands open on either side, water lapping his at palms; face tilted up to the sun, soaking in the rays and Sorey had this absurd question of whether or not gods get sunburned. 

 

_ “Mikleo!” _ Sorey throws down his backpack on the edges of the sand and steps out of his flip flops and runs down the beach and into the water, no doubt looking like a right idiot and completely out of place, and bringing  _ wayyy _ too much unneeded attention to himself. Mikleo only looked back when he was a few feet within reaching distance. 

 

“About time you woke up.” He said, though he didn’t sound cross. “I was beginning to worry.” Mikleo swerved his hand in the clear water, making a small whirlpool that dissipated easily. Sorey didn’t even have an answer for that. He means, a  _ god _ is talking to him like they’ve been friends for forever, which isn’t really a downside, but then there was that  _ other _ thing. 

 

How in the world can everybody else see him? 

 

Sorey remembers Mikleo’s comment of  _ I’m amazed he could actually see me,  _ and how he again confirmed by asking Sorey, more like commenting,  _ you can see me, _ which leads him to believe normal people  _ can’t  _ see him, so how was the innkeeper and everyone else on the beach able to see him now?

 

“You have questions.” Sorey startles lightly and nods. It was kinda late, but maybe he should have stripped the most unnecessary clothing off before getting in the water… 

 

“Well— yeah..” Sorey rubs the back of his neck, glancing between Mikleo where he seems to be enjoying himself in the water, and the stragglers of people who watch him. And well… “I think we should get you some new clothes. You stick out like a sore thumb.” 

 

Mikleo actually had the audacity to look surprised.

 

_ “I _ stick out like a sore thumb? What about you?” He motions to Sorey’s whole being. 

 

_ “I _ look like a tourist.  _ You _ look like you’re a performer getting ready to play the part of Amenoch.” Mikleo paused, taking the information in before looking down at his clothes, thoughtful.

 

“I doubt the specific description, though I see your point.” He concedes and Sorey felt off balance. Had a god  _ really  _ said he was right? Mikleo turns to him, expectant. “Lead the way.”

 

“Right.” Sorey nods, turning to start to waddle out of the shallow waters. Next to him Mikleo walked, looking like the water put forth no resistance on him. “What were you doing out there?” He asks curiously as they come to the lip of the shore. Mikleo hesitates as he reaches the final couple steps before the water ends, taking one last glance at the sea. 

 

“Tasting freedom.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Stigandr is a name that means wanderer. Kinda fitting, right?_

**Author's Note:**

> _This kind of au-kind of not stems from it kinda being current Zestiria history, but with Berseria ruins/villages still around._
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> _I just want someone to spaz to. But does anyone remember that Babe Mikleo skit? The best of all the skits, where Zavied is like: Sorey… Let’s go hunting for babes. (All serious-like)_
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> _Cue: Mikleo walking out of sauna, coat unbuttoned to see his neck, pushing his hair back. Sorey, seeming him, puts a thoughtful hand on his chin, possibly (more than likely), admiring him._
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> _Sorey: You mean like this?_
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> _Zavied: That’s not the kind of babe hunting I’m talking about!_
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>  _Which says to me, 1. Sorey thinks Mikleo_ definitely _falls into the category of “babe,” and that, 2. Zavied also thinks Mikleo falls into category of “babe,” just not a girl-babe. A guy-babe._
> 
>  
> 
> _And it brings me so much joy and excitement._
> 
>  
> 
>  _Not only, and spoilers for Tales of Berseria, Eizen says, and I quote, telling someone who isn’t your vessel your true name is sign of ultimate trust AND a love confession. Now flash to Mikleo becoming Lailah’s sublord, and him telling her that Sorey_ already knew _his true name, and Lailah’s response was, oh my! Just, ya know, think about it._


End file.
